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Did you know this about Hoyas?

Hoya calycina - Papua Sweet Scent

😶 Did you know this about Hoyas?

*Wax Plants: Hoyas are often called wax plants because of their thick, glossy leaves and waxy flowers.

*Sweet Scented Blooms: Their star-shaped flowers not only look like candy but also emit sweet, often vanilla-like or chocolatey scents, especially in the evening.

*Epiphytic Nature: Many Hoyas grow as epiphytes in their natural habitats, meaning they live on other plants or trees, getting nutrients from the air and rain.

*Longevity: Hoyas can live for decades and may even be passed down as heirlooms. Some specimens are over 100 years old!

*Nectar Drops: Their blooms produce tiny drops of nectar, a treat for pollinators (and sometimes houseplant owners).

*Hundreds of Species: There are over 500 species of Hoyas, ranging from tiny-leafed varieties to ones with massive leaves or even fuzzy foliage.

*Sun-Loving Flowers: While the plants tolerate lower light, Hoyas flower best with bright, indirect light or even some direct sun.

*Low-Maintenance: They’re perfect for forgetful gardeners since they prefer to dry out between waterings.

*Climbing or Trailing: Hoyas can either climb with the help of trellises or cascade beautifully as trailing plants.

*Flowering Age: Hoyas are patient! Some won’t bloom until they’re a few years old, but the wait is worth it.

*Resilient Peduncles: Never cut off the “flower stems” (peduncles) - Hoyas rebloom from the same spot year after year.

*Exotic Origins: Native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, they thrive in tropical and subtropical climates.

*Lucky Charm: In some cultures, Hoyas are considered symbols of love and are gifted as housewarming or wedding presents.

🎥 Hoya calycina - Papua Sweet Scent was discovered in Papua New Guinea in 1913. The flower is very fragrant and can infuse your entire house in a beautiful lilac scent.

😍 Do you have a favorite Hoya species in mind? Share in comments!

📚 More from previous post:
Our favorite houseplants - hoyas

🛒Shop hoya plants

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Happy Thanksgiving! Last day of discount

Happy Thanksgiving! Last day of discount
😊 Happy Thanksgiving! Last day of discount

"Giving Thanks is Giving Peace"

☀️ To our wonderful customers, thank you for your support throughout the year - we are truly grateful! We wish you peace, health, and beautiful gardens filled with abundant fruit and ever-blooming flowers.

👋 Don't miss the last day of 10% discount on plants, seeds, and garden supplies with the code below. Let's make your gardens even more fruitful and vibrant this Thanksgiving!

  • 😉 THANKS24 😉


Min order $150. Excluding S/H. Exp. 11/29/24

🛒 Shop Now

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When Bamboo blooms with orchid flowers

Bamboo Orchid (Arundina graminifolia), Bird Ground Orchid

🔤 When Bamboo blooms with orchid flowers 👀
  • ⭐️ The Bamboo Orchid (Arundina graminifolia), or Bird Ground Orchid, is a showstopper with its elegant, pinkish-purple flowers perched on tall, cane-like stems that look strikingly like bamboo.
  • ⭐️ These towering plants can grow to hip height or even taller, bringing a bold, exotic vibe to your garden. Their resemblance to bamboo isn't just in the stems – the long, alternating leaves add to the illusion.
  • ⭐️ At the top of the canes, delicate flowers bloom one at a time, keeping the show going for weeks. Each flower, about 2-3 inches wide, features soft white petals and a vibrant purple-pink lip, reminiscent of the beautiful Cattleya orchids.
  • ⭐️ These blooms can appear almost year-round, with a peak in summer, adding a touch of tropical elegance to your landscape.
  • ⭐️ This stunning plant is perfect for those who want a unique and low-maintenance addition to their shade garden that always reaches for the sky!


📱 Ground orchids: all-summer colors for shady gardens

📚Learn more from previous posts:

🛒Shop Ground Orchids

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Black Friday Week Has Begun!

Everybody loves these deals:

Black Friday Cat

This holiday week, treat yourself to the best deals of the year and fill your garden with the plants you've always dreamed of! Don't miss these instant discounts:

BOGO deals
discounted items
Secret Garden half price

and of course - FREE SHIPPING limited time promotions

On top of that, use our Thanksgiving code below and make it a steal!

Thanksgiving 10% discount

Shop now and make your garden the envy of the season! Get additional 10% off plants, seeds, and garden supplies with the code below:

THANKS24

Min order $150. Excluding S/H. Exp. 11/29/24

Pseudorhipsalis amazonica - Blue Flame

Photo above: Pseudorhipsalis amazonica - Blue Flame Cactus - Spectacular bloomer! A rare, spineless, epiphytic cactus from the rainforests of the Amazon jungle. Flowers emerge along the leaf edges from late spring through early summer, with a distinctive blue tip on the magenta flower.

Happy Thanksgiving Cat and Turkey

Date:

What plant can bloom profusely in full shade in Winter

Philippine violet (Barleria cristata)

⭐️ What plant can bloom profusely in full shade in Winter
  • 🍬 Philippine violet (Barleria cristata) - is a blooming star for a shade garden! It is a cheerful, fuss-free shrub that can brighten up shady spots with its trumpet-shaped flowers.
  • 🍬 Standing about 3-4 feet tall, it fits perfectly as a hedge or can be trimmed into neat shapes for a tidy look.
  • 🍬 Its flowers, in lovely shades of lilac purple, mauve, white, or even striped, burst into clusters from November to mid-December, adding a pop of color when many plants take a rest.
  • 🍬 Each flower lasts a couple of days, only to be replaced by fresh blooms from its many buds. The fallen petals create a gorgeous purple blanket around the plant, making it a visual treat even on the ground.
  • 🍬 This plant thrives in both sun and full shade! It doesn't ask for much - just a little pruning now and then to keep it bushy and happy.
  • 🍬 Add this eye candy to your shade garden, and let these Winter flowers steal the show!
  • 🍬 Philippine violet is also a perfect exotic plant for container culture or even an indoor collection.


🛒Shop Barleria varieties

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Thanksgiving Sale starts today! Giving Thanks is Giving Peace

Thanksgiving Sale starts today! Giving Thanks is Giving Peace
😊 Thanksgiving Sale starts today! Giving Thanks is Giving Peace

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." - Melody Beattie

🦃 Happy holiday season! To our wonderful customers, thank you for your support throughout the year - we are truly grateful! We wish you peace, health, and beautiful gardens filled with abundant fruit and ever-blooming flowers.

As a token of our appreciation, enjoy 10% off plants, seeds, and garden supplies with the code below. Let's make your gardens even more fruitful and vibrant this Thanksgiving!

  • 😉 THANKS24 😉


Min order $150. Excluding S/H. Exp. 11/29/24

🛒 Shop Now

#Quotes

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Sunshine Boosters Winter Use

The magic fertilizer in action

Crazy banana with Sunshine boosters

Do you remember that Sunshine Boosters fertilizers can be applied year-round?

As natural fertilizers, their scientifically created formulas provide perfectly balanced nutrition for your plants throughout the year. Follow the instructions on the labels and apply Sunshine Boosters with every watering. Give your plants extra boost during winter months! The fertilizer amount is balanced, adjusting proportionally to the water amount, which is tailored to the plant's winter needs. Unlike dry fertilizers, Sunshine Boosters can be used all year without fear of burning plants with excessive nutrient lockup.

Those who visited on B-Farm in Sebring, have noticed our little garden by the office, with plants that are always happy and vigorous - year around. They are irrigated automatically with Sunshine Boosters using the Robuster injector. We are proud of our "crazy banana", it is taller than the building, we honestly have never seen a banana of that size! The solution we are using there is Sunshine Robusta (also available for pick up in 2.5 gal jugs).

Save on Sunshine Boosters with the discount code above!

your plant needs food - sunshine boosters

Date:

Thanksgiving Sale starts today!

Giving Thanks is Giving Peace

Thanksgiving cat and turkey

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." - Melody Beattie

Happy holiday season! To our wonderful customers, thank you for your support throughout the year - we are truly grateful! We wish you peace, health, and beautiful gardens filled with abundant fruit and ever-blooming flowers.

As a token of our appreciation, enjoy 10% off plants, seeds, and garden supplies with the code below. Let's make your gardens even more fruitful and vibrant this Thanksgiving!

THANKS24

Min order $150. Excluding S/H. Exp. 11/29/24

Bunchosia argentea - Peanut Butter 
Tree

Photo above: Bunchosia argentea - Peanut Butter Tree. One of the most fascinating exotic fruit, as amazing as Miracle fruit, Peanut Butter Fruit is loved by both kids and adults. Yes, it tastes exactly like peanut butter! Sweet, soft pulp with peanut flavor. The tree is small in size, grows 10-15 ft max, or can be kept as a bush. Starts fruiting within 2-3 years from seed! Keep it in a pot if you have limited space, can be grown indoors, too. Very rare in cultivation.

Date:

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Coconut palm, Cocos nucifera

Coconut palm, Cocos nucifera

Fan palm - Licuala sp.

Fan palm - Licuala sp.

Areca palm - Areca (Dypsis) lutescens

Areca palm - Areca (Dypsis) lutescens

Windmill palm - Trachycarpus fortunei

Windmill palm - Trachycarpus fortunei

Cabbage palm - Sabal palmetto

Cabbage palm - Sabal palmetto

Queen Palm - Syagrus romanzoffiana

Queen Palm - Syagrus romanzoffiana

Majestic palm, Royal Palm - Ravenea rivularis

Majestic palm, Royal Palm - Ravenea rivularis

European fan palm - Chamaerops humilis

European fan palm - Chamaerops humilis

Date Palm - Phoenix canariensis

Date Palm - Phoenix canariensis

🌴 How cold hardy are palm trees and how to protect them in winter
  • 🌴 Most palms are tropical plants and require a frost-free climate to grow outdoors. However, there are a few exceptions. Adjust care depending on your zone and palm species. 
  • 🌴 Some cold-hardy species can handle harsher conditions, with proper protection, making them great options for gardeners in zones that experience occasional freezes.
  • 🌴 Mulch generously: Apply a thick layer of mulch around the base to insulate roots. Keep mulch a few inches away from the trunk to prevent rot.
  • 🌴 Water before frost: Water deeply before a freeze to stabilize soil temperature and prevent dehydration.
  • 🌴 Cover young palms: Wrap smaller or sensitive species in burlap, frost cloth, or blankets. Avoid plastic, as it can trap moisture and cause damage.
  • 🌴 Protect the crown: For cold-sensitive palms, bundle fronds upwards and wrap the crown with cloth or burlap to shield the growing point.
  • 🌴 Use heat sources: Place Christmas lights (non-LED) or a heat lamp near the tree, ensuring they’re safe and don't touch the foliage.
  • 🌴 Avoid pruning: Keep fronds intact during winter—they provide natural insulation.
  • 🌴 Species-specific care: Cold-hardy palms need less protection. Delicate types require more attention, including covering and relocating potted ones indoors.


📷 In the photos:

🌞 Cold sensitive palms:
Coconut palm: Cocos nucifera
Fan palm: Licuala sp.
Areca palm: Areca (Dypsis) lutescens

❄️ Cold hardy palms:
Windmill palm: Trachycarpus fortunei
Cabbage palm: Sabal palmetto
Queen Palm: Syagrus romanzoffiana
Majestic palm: Ravenea rivularis
European fan palm: Chamaerops humilis
Date Palm: Phoenix canariensis

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What is an easy growing butterfly bush for a low maintenance landscape?

Cassia bahamensis (Senna mexicana) - Bahama Senna

Cassia bahamensis (Senna mexicana) - Bahama Senna

🏖 What is an easy growing butterfly bush for a low maintenance landscape?
  • ☀️ Cassia bahamensis (Senna mexicana) - Bahama Senna is a fantastic addition to low-maintenance landscapes, especially in Southern gardens.
  • ☀️ This hardy, compact shrub is beloved for its dense, lush green foliage and abundant clusters of vibrant golden-yellow flowers that bloom from fall to early spring.
  • ☀️ The blooms are not only visually striking but also serve as an essential nectar source for butterflies, particularly the Cloudless Sulphur butterfly, making it a pollinator magnet.
  • ☀️ What makes Bahama Senna a landscaper's favorite is its remarkable resilience. It's highly drought-tolerant, thrives in full sun, and requires little water once established - perfect for areas with water restrictions or hot climates.
  • ☀️ Its low-growing, compact habit (typically under 5 feet) makes it ideal for small gardens, borders, or containers, where it adds a splash of color without overwhelming other plants.
  • ☀️ Additionally, its evergreen foliage provides year-round interest, and it requires minimal pruning to maintain its shape, making it truly low-maintenance.
  • ☀️ For those looking for a beautiful, easy-care shrub that attracts pollinators and brightens the garden with golden hues, Bahama Senna is an outstanding choice.


🛒 Plant Bahama Senna

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